This is the “killer application” for using intelligence to win large deals. Strategic Influence Planning is a disciplined way to analyze customers, competitors, suppliers, etc. to find the surest way to outflank them or to win them over. Sales and research teams traditionally focus on either the stated needs or capabilities of the target organization, or what they “normally” do in similar cases.

By contrast, strategic influence analysis considers changes at the organization and indicators about how the target organization and its leaders will most likely decide in one particular case. Strategic influence analysis reduces the guesswork about which way a company will move – or what can be done to influence the choice of a key client.

The process is research-based, and uses several tools to get strong results. Each tool can be taught separately, or all together. Before deciding what training we will provide your organization, let’s have a discussion about what your target is, and what you need. Common training components include:

a. Decision Mapping and Decision Culture: What tribe are they from? (1.5 days) Every organization is a tribe. Some people have referred to this course as “Miller-Heiman on Steroids.” This course teaches analytical protocols that decision-map target organizations to assess the 11 key elements that determine how any group makes choices. We share key variables for understanding the decision dynamics of organizations, so you can know where they are going and what you need to do to influence their decisions. We also share case studies of successfully influencing decisions of groups both internal and external to an organization.

b. Language and Behavioral Analysis. (2 days) What specific words and phrases can help you capture an individual’s attention, convince them, and motivate them to act? This course helps you determine who calls the shots within a particular company and what you need to do to win them over. The course introduces how to prepare a detailed profile of what makes an individual tick, and thus how to resonate with and influence that person.

c. Campaign planning. (Variable length - based on need) This suite of tools helps you design “campaigns” to either outflank (competitive strategy) or influence (negotiations or sales) tough or important targets.

Getting people’s attention and getting their commitment to change are two different goals. To get commitment, you need to move beyond memorable sound bites. This course shares tools and techniques used by major corporations that go beyond the words of executives and managers to visible deeds and symbolic actions.

So, exactly how many kids have found razors in their Halloween apples? …Zero. Would you like to create attention-getting messages everyone remembers, repeats, and acts upon? Based on an assessment of how grass roots works in your organization, we provide a set of guided activities to help you start crafting messages that stick—in other words, Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories, Shared strategically (SUCCESS). (Taught with special permission from book authors, Chip and Dan Heath.)

Emotionally resonating with a target audience in a way that moves them to action is often the most challenging, yet important, aspect of communication. In this presentation, we introduce the concept of a hierarchical value map, a fundamental tool for create communication strategies…especially for entire groups of employees or customers. We also introduce and practice the key strategies for using this tool.